Another dreadful week for the world's newsgatherers
It’s been a bad few days for the world’s journalists and news teams. Two news staff have been killed, one in Zimbabwe, the other in Iraq.
Iraqi journalist Khamail Khalaf, a reporter for Radio Free Iraq, the Arabic language service of RFE/RL in Iraq, was found dead in western Baghdad on April 5, 2007. According to Iraqi official sources, Mrs. Khamail was shot in the head and there were wounds on the body. She was last seen on April 3, and her family was contacted from Mrs. Khamails mobile phone by an unidentified caller who claimed that Mrs. Khamail was with him. There was no further communication. Mrs. Khamail had received threats before. Iraqi police continue to investigate the death.
Mrs. Khamail had been reporting for RFE/RL since 2004 on social and cultural life in Iraq. She was a highly regarded former Iraqi television journalist and newscaster. She is survived by three daughters.
Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson said, “The tragic death of Khamail Khalaf reminds us that each day Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondents risk their lives in their pursuit of truth. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends knowing that she paid the ultimate price for fulfilling her responsibility to the people of Iraq.”
RFE/RL President Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin said, “Mrs. Khamail was a courageous journalist who wanted the best for her country and believed that the people of Iraq deserve a peaceful and prosperous future. She died for that cause.”
In Zimbabwe, Edward Chikomba, a freelance cameraman who frequently worked for state-controlled ZBC (the sole terrestrial television network in Zimbabwe) was found beaten to death on a roadside 50km from Harare. Chikomba is believed to be one of the cameramen who shot footage of Morgan Tsvangarai emerging from the courthouse showing evidence of his injuries while in police custody for Mighty Movies Zimbabwe, a production company that sells footage to international broadcasters.
Chikomba was seized by five armed men driving a 4×4 while drinking in a pub near his home in Glen View. The question being asked by observers in Zimbabwe is whether he was beaten to death for being an MDC activist (possibly a branch chairman in the MDC structure) or for smuggling footage out of the country. Its a good bet that his journalistic activities were a major factor in his death as Zimbabwe is in the middle of a sometimes violent crackdown on independent journalism.
In other cases of Zimbabwe cracking down on journalists in the country, Gift Phiri of The Zimbabwean has been in custody since April 1st, charged with practising journalism illegally. Luke Tamborinyoka, former editor of the defunct Daily News, has been hospitalised under court orders since March 30th, after losing consciousness during his trial – hed been arrested in the March 28 raid on MDC headquarters and severely beaten in police custody.